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How to Get Your Toddler to Chip in on Chores

by Rebecca Desfosse on November 26, 2012

Rebecca Desfosse

About the Author

You can also find Rebecca Desfosse at her frugal-living blog, <a href="http://www.doggonethrifty.com/">Doggone Thrifty</a>. Married for three years and mother to a two-year-old boy, Rebecca understands how to raise a family on a budget and is eager to share her knowledge

About the Blog

WhatToExpect.com supports Word of Mom as a place to share stories and highlight the many perspectives and experiences of pregnancy and parenting. However, the opinions expressed in this section are those of individual writers and do not reflect the views of Heidi Murkoff of the What to Expect brand.

When I tell my mom friends that my toddler son cleans up his toys every night before he goes to bed, I often get a judgmental eyebrow that says your toddler helps you clean? Yes, my toddler son has chores — including cleaning up his toys and books, picking up dirty clothes off of the floor, and helping me load and unload the washer and dryer. And no, I don't run a sweatshop in my living room. I believe that giving small children age-appropriate household tasks helps instill in them a feeling of responsibility and make them feel a part of a team — your family team. Plus, if you ever want your kids to help out around the house, now is a great time to start.

Age-appropriate household tasks for toddlers include cleaning up after play sessions, picking dirty clothes off the floor and putting them in the hamper, feeding the family pet, dusting, helping unload and load the washer and dryer, and wiping down surfaces. You can also get your little munchkin involved in daily routines like making the bed or getting dressed (with help from mom or dad, of course).

My advice is to start small. Don't expect your child to know exactly how to do something and do it right the first time. Instead, show her how to do something — chances are, being the little monkey-see-monkey-do that she is, she will mimic you. Also, don't expect your little one to do something that's completely out of her age range, like dressing herself from head to toe. If she isn't there yet, don't pressure it. Just move on to another task that's more in her skill range.

Reward your child with lots of praise. Try to make doing housework fun — not a drag. Some kids really like charts that help track their accomplished tasks. Each time they complete a task, they receive a sticker or another type of reward like a trip to the park or a special play date.

At what age should kids start doing chores? Does your toddler help out?